Liberty has made the cut to the top 8 for one of the top defensive tackles in the Class of 2022 as the Flames made the cut for 3-star prospect Paul Hutson III, he announced on his Twitter account Thursday. Liberty makes the cut alongside Maryland, Coastal Carolina, Pitt, Old Dominion, Toledo, Virginia Tech, and Buffalo.

Hutson is originally from Norfolk, Virginia where he attended Maury High School. In August 2020, he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, one of the best high school football programs in the country. Hutson is rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports. He’s rated the No. 56 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 117 rising senior in Florida. Rivals also rates Hutson as a three-star rated prospect while ESPN tabs him as a 4-star.

The 6’1″, 290 pound athlete had offers from a number of other programs that did not make the cut to his top 8 including Charlotte, East Carolina, and Southern Miss.